China Suggests Psychiatric Care For Web Junkies

Think you might be addicted to the internet? China has officially given the first diagnosis for what it medically diagnoses as 'internet addiction.'

While we mentioned a few months back that there were bootcamps and rehabs for internet addiction popping up around both in China and Korea, this is the first time we have seen a diagnostic definition that lead to patients being checked into hospital psychiatric units.

"Symptoms of addiction included yearning to get back online, mental or physical distress, irritation and difficulty concentrating or sleeping.

"The definition, based on a study of more than 1,300 problematic computer users, classifies as addicts those who spend at least six hours online a day and have shown at least one symptom in the past three months," according to People's Daily Online.

Sound like you? The good news is that the China medical study found an 80% recovery rate after an average of three months of an unidentified treatment.

If this definition is true, and it actually is a problem, I know more than a few people that might qualify for this mystery rehab. (Don't worry Trend Hunters, we don't be submitting you for any kind of treatments!)